If you live in Charlotte and can’t afford a private lawyer, you’re not alone. Many people in the area rely on nonprofit legal aid organizations and clinics that offer free or low-cost civil legal services. This guide shows where to turn — fast — for legal help in Charlotte, what kinds of problems they handle, and what to expect when you reach out.
Major Legal Aid Organizations in Charlotte
Legal Aid of North Carolina (Charlotte Office)
- Who they help: Low-income residents of Mecklenburg County, including individuals, families, seniors, sometimes non-English speakers.
- What cases they take: Civil-law matters including housing issues (eviction, tenant/landlord disputes, unsafe housing), public benefits, safety / domestic-violence, family law (in many cases), debt/consumer problems, and other basic-needs issues.
- How to contact: Their Charlotte office is at 5525 Albemarle Road, Suite 100, Charlotte NC 28212. Phone: 704-594-8662. Toll-free: 1-866-219-5262 (for clients).
- Eligibility: Based on income relative to household size (generally at or below 125% of federal poverty guidelines) and legal problem type.
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy (CCLA)
This local nonprofit provides a variety of civil-legal services to people in the Charlotte region who cannot afford private attorneys.
- Who they help: Low-income individuals and families in Charlotte and surrounding areas; including immigrants, seniors, people with consumer-protection or benefit issues.
- What cases they take: Housing and home-preservation, consumer protection, public benefits, health care access, immigration services, income-security issues, tax-dispute help, veterans services, and more.
- How to contact: Office at 5535 Albemarle Road, Charlotte, NC 28212. Main phone: 704-376-1600. Helplines are also available: Mecklenburg County clients call 704-376-1600; there’s a Spanish-language line 800-247-1931.
- Notes on services: In 2024, their pro bono program provided over 2,000 hours of free legal representation and hosted legal clinics for estate planning, expunctions, immigration-related matters, etc.
Free or Low-Cost Legal Clinics & Hotlines in/near Charlotte
- NC Free Legal Answers (virtual legal-advice clinic) — A statewide free service where low-income North Carolinians can submit civil legal questions (housing, benefits, family law, consumer issues, etc.) and get answers from volunteer attorneys. Useful if you need quick advice and can wait for email response.
- Monthly Self-Help / Court Clinics at Mecklenburg County Courthouse — The courthouse offers clinics for custody or visitation, divorce (absolute divorce), and a brief “Attorney for the Day” program for free 30-minute consultations. Good for people wanting to represent themselves or get basic guidance.
- Law-school / limited assistance: UNC Charlotte Student Legal Services (SLS) — If you are a student at UNC Charlotte, SLS provides free legal advice, limited representation, and resources for eligible students.
What Legal Aid in Charlotte Usually Doesn’t Handle
- Criminal defense — most civil-aid organizations in Charlotte focus on civil matters (housing, benefits, family law, consumer, etc.).
- Complex business lawsuits, corporate or large-scale commercial disputes — legal aid targets individuals, families, and low-income clients, not big businesses. (This is typical for civil-legal aid providers nationwide.)
- Even eligible cases may not get full representation if demand is high — sometimes only limited help (advice, referrals, document prep, self-help resources).
Emergency & Urgent Legal Help in Charlotte
If you’re facing an urgent problem — eviction, risk of homelessness, benefits loss, unsafe housing, or other crisis — some services tend to prioritize these emergencies:
- Legal Aid of North Carolina — Charlotte Office — They handle housing emergencies, evictions, benefit denial, and safety issues (domestic violence, urgent housing issues, public-benefits cutoffs). Contact their intake number as soon as possible.
- Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy (CCLA) — Their pro bono and advocacy programs sometimes take urgent cases involving housing, healthcare access, immigration, public-benefits crises, and other urgent civil-legal problems.
- NC Free Legal Answers (online) — While responses may come by email, posting a question can be a quick first step if you need basic legal guidance and cannot get in right away.
- Self-Help Clinics at Mecklenburg County Courthouse — For urgent family-law or divorce cases, or when you need to act quickly and can represent yourself.
How to Prepare Before You Call for Legal Aid in Charlotte
Having information and documents ready helps legal-aid staff evaluate your situation more quickly. Before calling or visiting:
- Gather proof of income, benefits or public-assistance documents (paystubs, benefit letters, unemployment, public benefits, etc.)
- Collect any documents related to your legal issue — eviction or housing letters, landlord notices, benefit denial letters, court papers, debt collection or consumer-protection notices, etc.
- Have the names, ages, and relationships of all household members (if applicable), and your address/contact information — many programs check household size when deciding eligibility.
- If there’s a deadline (eviction date, court date, hearing, benefit cutoff), write it down — urgency can affect whether your case gets accepted quickly.
- Be ready to explain clearly and simply what’s happening — dates, what you’ve been told, what you need (housing, benefits, protection, debt help, etc.)
Alternatives If You Don’t Qualify for Free Legal Aid
- Use NC Free Legal Answers — Even if you don’t qualify for full representation, this free online clinic can give you basic advice or guidance.
- Self-Help Clinics and Court “Attorney for the Day” Program at Mecklenburg County Courthouse — Attend a clinic (custody, divorce) or a consultation to get some guidance or document-help even without full representation.
- Look into modest-means or sliding-scale attorneys via referral services — The local bar or statewide referral services may connect you with lower-cost attorneys if you don’t fully qualify for legal aid.
- Student-legal services (if you’re a student) — For example, UNC Charlotte Student Legal Services can provide legal advice or limited representation for enrolled students.
Key Takeaways
- Charlotte has multiple nonprofit and pro bono legal-aid organizations — including Legal Aid of North Carolina (Charlotte Office) and Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy — that help low-income residents with civil legal needs (housing, benefits, family, consumer law, etc.).
- If you face serious problems — eviction, unsafe housing, benefit loss, debt issues, family law matters — there’s a good chance one of the groups above may help you for free or very low cost.
- Even if you don’t qualify for full legal representation — self-help clinics, online legal-advice services, and limited-scope help can be useful starting points.
- Be ready when you call — gather income info, relevant documents, and any deadlines — to help legal-aid staff assess your case quickly and efficiently.